This invention relates to a reproduction apparatus, a recording and reproduction system, a reproduction method, and a recording and reproduction method for dubbing recording wherein, for example, audio information reproduced from a recording medium is recorded onto another recording medium.
In recent years, disc media onto and from which audio data can be recorded and reproduced such as, for example, a mini disc (MD: trademark) and recording and reproduction apparatus ready for such disc media have spread popularly.
Also audio systems which employ, for example, a combination of an MD recorder/player which is a recording and reproduction apparatus ready for an MD and a CD player or the like have spread widely.
By the way, in such a system which includes an MD recorder/player and a CD player as described above, audio data are managed in a unit called "program". In the present specification, the term "program" is used to signify a group of data which is managed and recorded as a unit on a disc. For example, audio data for one tune (generally called "track") form one program. Therefore, in the following description, a program may be referred to also as a track.
Such an audio system as described above usually is capable of performing dubbing recording wherein audio data reproduced by a CD player is recorded onto an MD by means of an MD recorder/player.
Also a system is available which is designed so as to perform high speed dubbing in order to minimize the recording time.
In high speed dubbing, a disc rotational driving control system and a reproduction signal processing system of the CD player are controlled so that a CD is played back at a predetermined double (multiple) speed higher than a standard speed for normal reproduction. Also on the MD recorder/player side, a recording circuit system is controlled so as to operate at a double (multiple) speed corresponding to the reproduction speed of the CD and record the audio data reproduced by the CD player onto an MD.
For example, in an apparatus wherein a CD player serving as a reproduction apparatus and an MD recorder/player serving as a recording apparatus are incorporated integrally, it is easy to control the CD player and the MD recorder/player to simultaneously operate at a predetermined double (multiple) speed in order to perform such high speed dubbing as described above. Also in another system wherein a reproduction apparatus and a recording apparatus are formed as separate units, for example, if a cable for control data is used to connect the reproduction apparatus and the recording apparatus to each other so as to allow communication between them, then the operations of the reproduction apparatus and the recording apparatus can be controlled readily in synchronism with each other to realize high speed dubbing.
However, where such high speed dubbing as described above is considered from the point of view of protection of a work in the form of a tune or the like, it presents the following problems.
Basically, an action of dubbing is recognized as an action to be inhibited if possible because it is duplication of data of a work such as, for example, a tune and therefore is less profitable to the proprietor of the copyright.
Nevertheless, high speed dubbing is performed. This signifies that a greater number of tunes (tracks) can be dubbed per unit time when compared with normal dubbing at a standard speed.
Here it is assumed that, for example, a certain user tries to copy only the same tune (track) recorded on the same CD or a certain one CD onto such a large number of MDs as exceeds the range of personal use in common sense to produce a large number of duplicates and use the MDs on which the same contents are copied for a certain object.
If the user utilizes the high speed dubbing function in order to perform copying of the tune onto the MDs, then the MDs on which the tune (track) is copied can be produced efficiently in a shorter time than by normal dubbing at a standard speed. In short, the high speed dubbing has a phase that it promotes infringement upon the copyright.
Against the problem of the copyright described above, it is a common countermeasure to provide a digital audio apparatus such as, for example, an MD recorder/player not with a high speed dubbing function but only with a normal dubbing function at a standard speed.
It is to be noted, however, that mere inhibition of high speed dubbing is not preferable to a common user who performs dubbing, for example, within the range of personal use in common sense because the common user cannot enjoy the advantage that dubbing can be completed in a short time.